Activites

• 2006/01/17 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T6-0007/2006 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Roberts ZILE (UENS, LV) on relations with the Russian Federation and China in the field of air transport.China: Parliament welcomed the Commission's general response to the process of growth, modernisation and liberalisation currently underway in Chinese commercial aviation, and acknowledged the desirability of a comprehensive aviation agreement between the EU and China. It felt, however, that prior to the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement, a horizontal agreement should be reached so that China's current bilateral air service agreements with various Member States could be brought into line with the Court of Justice's 'open skies' judgment. The negotiation of such an agreement would strengthen the EU's position and would be more beneficial to stakeholders and consumers than a series of revised bilateral agreements essentially concerned with traffic rights. Parliament called on the Council to extend the Commission's negotiating mandate to cover the provision of the necessary airport and safety infrastructures and air traffic control over Chinese airspace, which unfortunately are inadequate at present and pose an obstacle to the development of aviation relations. It acknowledged the excellent work the Commission is carrying out with its Chinese partners, but regretted that it has not had access to the terms of the negotiating mandate the Commission now seeks from the Council in respect of China. Parliament insisted that it be better integrated in the process of negotiating the agreement.  It also insisted that the provisions of a balanced conclusion to negotiations with China on air cargo should be implemented without delay and if necessary before completion of negotiations on passenger traffic. Russia: Parliament noted that the charges imposed by Russia for flights over its territory are in violation of international law and have not, in the main, been used for the promised improvement of air traffic control management but rather to subsidise Russia's own airline, in breach of competition law. It insisted to the Commission and Council that no comprehensive agreement should be concluded without the immediate and complete abolition of Russian overflight charges. Furthermore, no modified charging scheme should be agreed to replace the current overflight charging regime. Parliament called on the Commission not to conclude an agreement on the Russian Federation's accession to the World Trade Organisation while Russia continues to charge for Siberian overflights. In this context, Parliament asked the Commission to evaluate all arguments related to modernisation, capital investment and technical requirements in the links between the European Union's and Russia's aviation industries and their differences over overflight charging.Parliament acknowledged the excellent work the Commission is carrying out with its Russian partners, but regretted that it has not had access to the terms of the negotiating mandate the Commission now seeks from the Council in respect of Russia. Again, it insisted on being better integrated in the process of negotiating the agreement.  China and Russia: Negotiations can only be successfully concluded with both China and Russia if stakeholders are able to advise the Commission and are fully apprised of the progress of negotiations and the positions adopted therein. Parliament insisted that no mandate should be granted which does not inexorably link increased access to both China's and Russia's markets to the creation of a 'level playing field' through the convergence of operating standards in the areas of air traffic control and management, staff training and operating standards and aviation security and safety. The principle of reciprocity must be applied.

• #2695
• 2005/12/01 Council Meeting
  • 2695
• 2005/11/29 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • A6-0375/2005
• 2005/11/22 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2005/06/09 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2005/03/14 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(2005)0077 summary

    PURPOSE : to present a framework for developing relations with the Russian Federation in the field of air transport.CONTENT : the aviation and aeronautical industries of the EU and the Russian Federation are fundamental components of economic cooperation contributing to the mobility of citizens and to industrial development. The importance of the Russian Federation and EU aviation relations increased with the enlargement of the EU and traffic between the markets of the EU-25 and the Russian Federation grew significantly. Nevertheless, the full potential of the internal market is unlikely to be achieved until the Community acts as a single coordinated entity in its aviation relations with third countries wherever such co-ordinated efforts can create added value in the interest of the European aviation industry and users.This paper presents the background and arguments substantiating the need for a comprehensive air transport agreement between the Community and the Russian Federation, which would allow the two partners to establish a clear and coherent framework in which to constructively develop their aviation relations in the coming years.Furthermore, in parallel to this Communication, the Commission therefore recommends that the Council authorise the Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the European Community, a comprehensive air transport agreement with the Russian Federation.Such a framework would inter alia aim to improve market opportunities for both sides, ensure compliance with Community law, implement a phase-out of trans-Siberian overflight payments, promote the approximation of aviation laws where appropriate, establish joint mechanisms for co-operation on security, safety and environmental standards, and foster co-operation in the industrial field. It would also bring about significant economic benefits.The current situation whereby each Member State separately, and not the Community, negotiates air traffic rights and access conditions with third countries is a clear handicap. As long as Member States negotiate bilaterally with Russia it will be considerably more difficult to achieve the significant benefits in terms of market access and integration, which the Community would expect to achieve, together with offering substantial opportunities for cooperation in the regulatory, technical and industrial fields.A comprehensive EC-Russia air transport agreement would provide for a transition period for the modernisation of the current mechanism of payments for trans-Siberian overflights by 2013 at the latest and ensure that charges applied after the end of the transition period will be transparent, cost-based and not lead to discrimination between airlines.

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2005)0077
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A6-0375/2005
• Debate in Council: 2695
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0007/2006

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)